caeeoll house



Unirse STATES arent Ormea J. CARROLL HOUSE, OF LOYVVILLE, NEW YORK.

BURIAL-CASE.

IPECl'l-IGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 320,254, dated June16, 1885.

Application filed July 1884,

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern:

Bc it known that I, J. CARROLL HOUSE, a citizen ofthe United States,residing at Lowville, in the county of Lewis and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Burial- Case for the Preservation of theRemains of the Dead, of which the following is a specification,reference bei ng had to the accompanying drawings, in whichlligure l isa perspective view of the entire case with sections ot' the superimposedsheets ot asbestns removed to show the skeleton framework within. Fig. 2is a vertical cross-section showing` the method of construction and themannerin which the material in its several layers is built up and theposition of the skeleton support-frame embedded in the body of the same.

Similar letters indicate similar parts.

ln the construction ot' my improved burialease two light forms ofwell-seasoned material are first made, the contour of whose exteriorrepresents the desi gn and shape whi chthe interior ofthe completed easeis desired tohave, the one for the upper and the other for the lowersection. These forms are attached by their broadestfaecs to somebase-boards which extend a couple of inches beyond their margins at thesides and ends. The exposed surfaces of the forms and base-boards aresaturated with some good harddrying wood iilling and smoothly polished.Each section of the intended case is then made as follows: A sheet ofasbestus felt, A A, from one-sixteenth to one-eighth of an inch inthickness, is first neatly fitted to the form, being allowed to extendout from the same about two inches upon the surface of the base-boardall around, and is then lightly secured by tacks driven so as to beeasily withdrawn. The corners of this felt covering are now to becovered with stout canvas stays rmly glued or cemented on, and theentire surface is to be saturated with a solution of asphaltum in somequick-drying sol vent, such as spirits of tur pentine or naphtha, andallowed to dry. A skelet-on frame of heavy galvanized hoop-iron, thewidth and thickness to be governed by the size of the case, and theindividual strips thereof running lengthwise and crosswise at rightangles, and soldered or riveted at their points of intersection, is

(Mollet) now fitted over the feltcovered form, the extremities of thestrips-being furnished with holes and bent out horizontally, as at B B,from an inch to an inch and a half. The frames ot' the upper and lowersections, respectively, are so constructed that the horizontal ends ot'the strips shall coincide when placed in their posit-ion in thecompleted case.

The skeleton frame having been properly adjusted to the form, it isremoved, and the asbestus receives a thick coat of melted asphaltum, andwhile this is hot the frame is replaced in situ and well pressed intothe asphaltum. Pieces of asbestus felt are then to be titted between thestrips ot` the frame, ofA a thickness eorrespoinling to that of thestrips of the frame, the surfaces of which are to be saturated withdissolved asphaltum, and they are to be firmly pressed down upon theasphaltum-eoveredbase felt, which is all allowed to dry thoroughly. Athird sheet (entire) is now to be iitted over the entire form and thenremoved, that the two approximating surfaces may each receive a goodcoat of dissolved asphaltunnwhen the adjusted felt is to be placed inposition on the form and well rubbed and pressed 'down to a tirm contactwith the same, and allowed to dry. Another sheet of the asbestus felt isagain to be adjusted to the above, and then removed, and a very thinmixture of ealcined gypsum or plaster-of-paris in water is quicklybrushed over the asbestus-covered form, while at the same time theadjusted sheet is being passed through a suitable vessel containing asimilar mixture, and when thoroughly saturated is quickly laid in placeupon the form and snugly pressed to place, and brought to the shape ot'the basal plates beneath, and there firmly retained until the gypsumshall have time to crystallize or set and the surplus moisture toevaporate. It desirable, the plaster-of-paris may be mixed with asolution of silicate of soda or potash, or of gelatine, to give itgreater strength and firmness. 'lhese layers of asbestus and asphaltumor plaster-of-p'aris may be increased as the size ofthe case may demandthickness or strength, each layer having the corners strengthened bystout canvas, as in the ease of the trst covering. The sheets ofasbestus may be tlrst rendered water-proof before ar- IOO ranging themover the form, if so desired, by treating them with any solution orpreparation which will accomplish the same. When the requisite number ofsuperimposed layers have been added and the whole mass is thoroughlydried, the shell so constructed is lifted from the form and the edge ofwhat now constitutes a flange around each half or section is neatlytrimmed to a proper width, say one and one-halt' inch on the face. Itwill now be found that when these two sections or shells are broughtface to face they constitute a substantial coffin or burial-case, theinterior of which can be lined and suitably ornamented by attaching therequisite material to the inner layer ef asbest-ns by glue. The outsidemay be saturated with some good body-stuft'- ing or painters grounds andthoroughly rubbed down and then nished in any desirable colors or woodimitation, or it may be covered with cloth by attaching the same withglue, as is the practice in the external ornamentation of the ordinarywooden casket-s. The ends of the galvani zed-iron skeleton frame as theylay embedded in the Iiang'es opposite each other are to be punctured,and 'through these openings, when the shells are in'place,binding-screws or bolts and nuts with washers are passed to hold thesections together.` The ends of these screws when exposed may be made ofany ornamental design andsil'verplated,as desired.' When it is'desiredto make the case air andgas tight, a soft lute of asphaltum, tallow,beeswax, and turpentine or naphtha is to be smeared upon bothflange-faces after the body to be'nterred is in place and before thesections are finally brought together and properly secured by the screwswhich bring the two faces together. In some cases it may be desirable tofurther strengthen these flanges by a strip of wood neatly itted aroundthe outside and bedded into the asphaltum coat on the last layer ofasbestus, and the bindingscrews are to pass through along the line oftheir overlapping, and thus l bind the two firmly together.A

The principle of construction embodied in the abovev described case maybe used when wood or paper pulp or woolcn felt material is substitutedfor the asbcstus, but a case so constructed cannot be said to beimperishable in the proper sense of the term. A heavy plateglass can bebedded on the proper layers inthe upper part of the top seetion whenit'is desired to have the case ar rangedto view the remains inclosed,suitable openings being left in the superimposed layers for saidpurpose.

A burial-case constructed of layers of asbestus, superimposed over asuitable form, said layers being cemented each to the other by a stratumof asphaltum or its equivalent, and one or more of the respective layerssaturated with a solution of asphaltum or its equivalent, to render itwater-proof, the whole strengthened and supported by transverse stripsof metal soldered or united at their points of intersection and retainedin place between layers of the constituted case, substantially as andfor the purpose specified.

- J. CARROLL House.

